Muslim artist from St. Petersburg painted an "icon" of Russian President

12-09-2008

Moscow, September 12, Interfax - Muslim artist Robert Gabitov from St. Petersburg painted a portrait-"icon" of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

"I was working with oil several months in a special magical atmosphere," Gabitov was quoted as saying by the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily on Friday.

Medvedev is depicted against St. Basil's Cathedral. The president has a falcon on his shoulder and a tree of life is growing behind him. The author thinks these symbols stress "holiness of the Russian President."

The Muslim artist didn't show his work to priests, though he confessed he lit candles for the health of the Russian head in an Orthodox church and read prayers.

Gabitov hopes to present the "icon" in a gilded frame to Medvedev on his 43rd birthday on September 14. Earlier he congratulated English Queen Elizabeth II on her 80th birthday with an abstraction Pushkin - Krishna and even got a letter of thanks from her.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=5158